Monday, 21 January 2008

How stupid could he get?

Another day and another parliamentary disaster. The time the Minister of Defence having to announce that hundreds and thousands of details of people who have shown an interest in joining HM Forces have been stolen. He announced that, although the military have an encryption system for this information and secure procedures for the transportation of this data an individual decrypted it, loaded it onto his laptop computer and then left the computer in his car overnight during which time it was stolen.

Have you ever heard of anything so utterly stupid? This has to be someone of considerable rank I surmise who really thought that he/she was above the law. No doubt we will never hear what has happened to him/her (national security you understand) but he/she really should be in the dock sometime in the near future. In today's climate where departments seem to be losing information as quick as they get it I cannot envisage anyone doing what this officer has done. Until they are named and shamed it will continue to happen.